Outlook Wont Open Mailto Links Containing & Symbol

Outlook
1

Hello,

I'm having an issue with an email address that contains an ampersand (&). For example, the address is in the format "a&***".

When I try to send an email to this address, only the "a" part is recognized as the recipient.

Interestingly, this issue doesn't occur when using the old Outlook.

Can the Outlook developers fix this problem or is there a workaround for users like me?

2

Hello!

I understand you’re having trouble with Outlook not recognizing email addresses containing an ampersand (&) symbol, specifically when the address is in the format “a&***”. This issue appears to be limited to the newer version of Outlook, whereas the old version handles it correctly.

Here are some potential solutions and reasons for this issue:

Check Outlook Version

  1. Verify Outlook Version: Ensure you’re using the latest version of Outlook. Sometimes, these issues are resolved by software updates. Check your version under File > Office Account > About Outlook.
  2. Check Exchange Server: Confirm that your Exchange Server version meets the necessary requirements. This issue might be due to incompatible server settings, particularly if you use a different server for the new and old Outlook versions.

Troubleshooting Steps

  1. Enable Show/Hide Formatting Marks: This might help troubleshoot any formatting issues in your email addresses. In the Format Text tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Show/Hide button or press CTRL+SHIFT+* to toggle formatting symbols.
  2. Keyboard Entry: Try manually entering the email address rather than selecting it from the contact list or auto-complete suggestions. This might help determine if the issue is with input formatting or parsing.
  3. Repairing Office and Outlook: Run the repair option for Office and Outlook to see if that resolves the problem.
  4. New Profile: Consider creating a new Outlook profile to verify if the issue is profile-specific.
  5. Disable Any Potential Filters: Check if there are any filters or add-ons that might be causing this issue, and disable them to test if they are interfering with functionality.

Additional Information Needed

For further assistance, it would be helpful to know:

  • What version of Outlook are you currently using?
  • What is the version of your Exchange server?
  • Are there any specific settings or add-ons you’re using that could be affecting Outlook’s behavior?

If you follow these steps and provide more detailed information about your Outlook setup, we can further diagnose and attempt to fix or find a workaround for this problem.